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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  NY.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


i 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  canadien  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  uas  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 
D 
D 
D 
D 
D 
D 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 

Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommagde 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur6e  et/ou  pellicut6e 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  gdographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  *han  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reli6  avec  d'autres  documents 


r~7    Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 


D 


along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serrde  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 

distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intirieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajout^es 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  6tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  M  film6es. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl^mentaires: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  methods  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquds  ci-dessous. 


r~|   Coloured  pages/ 


D 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommag6es 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pellicui6es 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxei 
Pages  d6color6es,  tachet6es  ou  piqudes 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ddtachdes 

Showthroughy 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Quality  in6gale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materii 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppldmentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 


I — I  Pages  damaged/ 

I — I  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

I — I  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 

I      I  Pages  detached/ 

I      I  Showthrough/ 

I      I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I      I  Includes  supplementary  material/ 

I — I  Only  edition  available/ 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalament  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure. 
etc.,  ont  6t6  filmdes  A  nouveau  de  fapon  d 
obtenf'-  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  et  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film6  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


/ 


12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


The  copy  filmed  h«r«  ha«  boen  reproducad  thanks 
to  the  ganarosity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


L'axamplaira  filmA  fut  raproduit  grAca  A  la 
gAnirositA  da: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possibia  considaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacifications. 


Las  imagas  suivantas  ont  ttt  raproduitas  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattatA  da  l'axamplaira  film6,  at  an 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 


Original  cupias  in  printad  papar  covars  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  ^^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED "»,  or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Les  exemplairas  originaux  dont  la  couvarture  an 
papier  est  imprimie  sont  filmis  en  commenpant 
par  la  premier  plat  at  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
darnlAre  page  qui  comporte  un?  empr'^inte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  las  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film^s  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  at  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
darnidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  —^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartas,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
film^s  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diff^rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichd,  il  est  filmd  A  partir 
de  Tangle  supirieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  la  nombre 
d'imagas  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammas  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthoda. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

THE    RUSH    TO    THE    KLONDIKE    OVER 
THE    MOUNTAIN    PASSES. 

BY  EDWARD  S.  CURTIS. 

riCTURES  FROM  PHOTOGRAPHS  BY  THE   AUTHOR. 


THE  astonishing  rush  to  the  new  gold-fields 
of  Alaska  and  the  Northwest  Territory 
during  the  latter  half  of  1897  is  a  distinct 
feature  in  the  chronicle  of  our  national 
events.  « Klondike »  will  stand  upon  the 
pages  of  our  history  with  a  prominence 
equal  to,  if  not  greater  than,  that  given  to 


the  days  of  «'49»;  and  this,  too,  despite  the 
fact  that  the  Alaskan  movement  was  then 
only  in  its  first  stages.  Last  summer's  dash 
to  the  new  El  Dorado  was  only  the  first  breath 
of  an  oncoming  storm  the  fury  and  extent 
of  which  cannot  be  overestimated. 

In  another  sense,  the  rush  of  1897  may  be 


THE  CLIMIt   TO   TllK.   SUMMIT   OI'   CHII.KOOT   TASS,    llVMA    TRAIL. 


the 
Jthen 
[dash 
reath 

[tent 

[y  he 


O.N   THK   SUMMIT   OF  THK  CHILKOOT   PASS. 


termed  the  first  shock  of  a  great  battle  wiiicli 
is  now  waging  ))et\veen  invading  Man  and  de- 
fending Nature.  Lured  from  the  patlis  of 
peaceful  employment  and  routine  labor  by 
visions  of  sudden  wealth,  men  rushed  into  the 
North  unprepared  by  any  certain  knowledge 
of  the  country,  and  by  the  very  nature  of 


their  errand  antagonistic  to  any  form  of  or- 
ganized enterprise.  Not  only  did  each  man 
find  Nature  stern  and  repulsive,  opposing 
his  progress  with  all  her  forces,  but  the  lack 
of  transportation  facilities  soon  turned  each 
man  into  an  open  enemy  to  his  neighbor. 
At  the  present  time,  when  the  second  rush 


i 


C0MIN(3    DOWN    WITH    A    I.IKIM.INK    AT   (ITIIK,    KORU,»    SKAOUAY    TKAIL. 


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a; 


IN    CA&ir   AT   SUMMIT   LAKE   ON    THE   SKAGUAY    TRAIL. 


may  soon  be  expected,  it  will  be  interesting 
to  take  a  glance  at  the  wreckage  of  the  first 
onset. 

In  general,  it  may  be  stated  that  during 
the  rush  of  1897  only  two  routes  into  the 
Klondike  country  were  followed.  One  was 
called  the  outside,  or  all-water  rente;  the 
other,  the  overland  passage.  The  outside 
route  was  by  ocean-steamer  from  the  Pacific- 
coast  cities  to  St.  Michael,  Alaska,  whence 
river-boats  conveyed  the  passenger  and  his 
outfit,  without  change,  to  Dawson  City,  The 
overland  passage  was  by  ocean-steamer  to 
Skaguay  or  Dyea,  whence  the  prospector 
crossed  the  mountains  on  foot  to  the  chain 
of  lakes  which  form  the  head  waters  of  the 
Yukon  River.  Once  at  these  lakes,  individual 


boats  were  built,  and  the  long  journey  down 
the  river  began.  Hence  there  w?s  offered  the 
odd  picture  of  men  seeking  a  middle  point  on 
a  great  river,  some  by  ascending,  and  some 
by  descending,  the  start  being  made,  in  both 
cases,  at  the  sea-level.  Those  who  ascended 
the  river  were  first  ol  liged  to  travel  by  sea 
nearly  two  thousand  n  iles  in  the  very  direc- 
tion in  which  the  river  is  flowing,  and  all  the 
way  running  nearly  parallel  to  its  flow,  be- 
fore reaching  the  river's  mouth,  thus  travel- 
ing more  than  double  the  distance  involved 
in  the  overland  passage. 

Neither  of  these  routes  was  in  any  way 
adequate  to  the  demands  suddenly  placed 
upon  it.  The  outside  route  boasted  only 
a  few  steamers.    Every  available  craft  was 


KESEKTEll   HOUSES   AT  THE   FOOT  OF    « THE  SUMMIT,"    SKAGUAY   TRAIL. 


696 


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THE   RUSH   TO  THE   KLONDIKE  OVER  THE  MOUNTAIN  PASSES.       G97 


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pressed  into  service,  and  in  all  these, 
whether  steamer  or  sailer,  men,  cattle,  and 
freight  were  crammed  in  the  most  uncom- 
fortable manner.  More  than  that,  when  the 
river  was  gained,  the  river-steamers  were  too 
few  to  accommodate  the  crowds;  and  when 
new  boats  were  constructed,  low  water  and 
the  late  season  caused  delays  which  finally 
caught  most  of  the  prospectors  en  route, 
forcing  them  to  camp  for  the  winter  where 
this  last  misfortune  overtook  them. 

The  scenes  along  the  two  trails  constitut- 
ing the  overland  passage  were  more  soul- 
trying,  and  presented  a  desperate  picture  at 
the  close  of  the  first  rush.  Men  who  landed 
at  Skaguay  and  Dyea  thought  the  worst  of 
their  journey  over.  Both  trails  are  easily 
passable  for  a  few  men  at  a  time,  the  Skaguay 
trail,  including  the  White  Pass,  being  the 
more  suitable  for  the  passing  of  pack-trains. 
But  the  crush  of  men  and  animals  on  both 
these  trails  was  terrific,  and  became  the 
worst  feature  of  the  problem.  A  multitude 
of  horses'  hoofs  cut  the  open  parts  of  the 
trail  into  rivers  of  mire.  Pack-trains  re- 
turning empty  from  the  lakes  caused  the  as- 
rending  trains  hours  of  delay.  Horses,  over- 
loaded or  worn  out,  fell  in  their  tracks;  and 
so  warped  had  men  become  in  their  struggle 
to  get  over  the  summits  toward  the  fairyland 
of  Klondike  that  no  friendly  hand  would  be 
lent  to  help  the  owner  raise  the  fallen  animal. 

But  worse  than  these  delays  was  the  de- 
struction of  horses  which  resulted  from  the 
frightful  condition  of  the  trails.  Many  ani- 
mals died  from  exhaustion;  but  by  far  the 
greater  number  were  destroyed  by  falling 
among  boulders,  the  heavy  packs  nearly  al- 
ways causing  broken  limbs.  Men,  starting 
with  horses  as  a  part  of  their  capital,  ex- 
pected to  sell  them  when  their  own  passage 
was  completed.  A  few  succeeded;  but  the 
majority  lost  their  horses,  and  either  hired 
their  goods  packed  over  the  trails,  or  were 
reduced  to  the  necessity  of  carrying  their 
outfits,  bit  by  bit,  on  their  own  backs.  It 
was  then  that  the  bitter,  desperate,  almost 
unendurable  struggle  began.  The  men  over- 
worked themselves,  ate  poorly  prepared 
food,  slept  in  wet  clothing;  and  many  there 
are  who,  in  consequence  of  these  privations, 
will  never  regain  their  full  strength.  Add 
to  this  the  previous  sacrifice  of  giving  up 
paying  positions  at  home,  in  many  cases  of 
leaving  wife  and  children  almost  unprovided 
with  property  in  order  to  secure  an  outfit,  and 
the  reader  will  appreciate  the  desperate  men- 


tal condition  of  the  men  who  daily  found 
resisting  Nature  becoming  more  formidable. 
On  top  of  this  place  the  utter  disappointment 
of  the  thousands  of  men  who  failed  to  reach 
Dawson  City,  and  who  were  obliged  to  camp 
where  cold  weather  overtook  them,  and  who 
are  waiting  for  spring  to  release  them  from 
physical  privation  and  a  condition  of  mental 
torture  produced  by  gloomy  surroundings  and 
unrealized  hopes,  and  the  picture  of  the  im- 
potency  of  the  first  onslaught  upon  the  out- 
works of  thenewgold-fields  becomes  ?pparent. 

But,  gloomy  as  the  picture  may  be,  it  is 
only  the  natural  outcome  of  the  conditions. 
Men  who  lift  heavy  packs  over  steep  hills  and 
rough  trails  must  work  slowly  and  steadily. 
There  is  no  carrying  Nature's  forces  by  as- 
sault. Her  resisting  strength  is  immeasura- 
ble, and  man  can  overcome  it  only  by  using 
brain  as  well  as  brawn.  Men  who  contend 
hand  to  hand  with  Nature  must  protect  their 
health  and  daily  renew  their  strength;  for 
Nature  is  just  f!s  strong  at  the  end  of  a  day's 
work  as  at      ^  beginning. 

The  men  now  planning  to  force  a  way  into 
Alaska  and  the  Northwestern  Territory  are 
better  prepared  than  were  the  men  of  '97,  and 
they  are  planning  their  campaign  with  more 
care.  Furthermore,  organization  has  dis- 
placed anarchy,  and  the  men  of  '98  will 
cross  the  trails  over  prepared  roads,  steel 
bridges,  and  steam  tramways,  where  the  men 
of  '97  waded  through  mud,  forded  streams, 
and  painfully  toiled  over  the  summits.  And 
improved  methods  are  visible  also  on  the  out- 
side route.  A  greater  fieet  of  steamers,  with 
greater  average  tonnage,  are  to  carry  men 
to  the  Yukon.  More  river-boats  will  breast 
the  swift  current  of  this  great  river.  New 
trails  are  being  tested  and  new  methods  put 
into  practice.  The  battle  for  wealth  will  be- 
come more  desperate,  more  volunteers  will 
rush  to  the  front;  but  the  signs  of  victory 
will  be  more  frequent. 

But  not  all  who  go  will  win,  and  the  vic- 
tors will  purchase  their  triumph  dearly. 
Those  most  successful  in  these  new  gold- 
fields  have  said  that  they  would  not  enter 
the  battle  again  if  twice  the  stake  hung  upon 
the  victory.  The  loss  of  life  was  small  in  the 
first  rush,  but  Nature  took  almost  the  entire 
assaulting  host  as  prisoners.  When  she  re- 
leased them,  many  there  were  who  fell  back, 
broken  in  purse,  worn  in  body,  and  despondent 
in  mind.  These  men  made  their  way  home,  as 
best  they  could,  out  of  the  wreckage  of  the 
first  Klondike  rush. 


Vol.  LV.-88. 


